Karl Marx Essays (564 words) - Marxist Theory, Marxism, Karl Marx

Karl Marx Karl Marx wrote many works throughout his time, but one of the works of his youth was called On Man and History. This work by Marx was written when he was a youth and was influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the works of Hegel philosophy. There are two sections in this document one is the Alienated Man and the other is History. The first section by Marx talks about how man is alienated by the process of labor and the product that is made out of the labor. Marx says that the process of labor is an alienation because man does not do work for their own pleasure and the labor is not part of the nature of man, but the labor is forced upon man to gain other satisfaction such as entertainment, money, and food. In addition, Marx states that the work done by a person is not for him or herself but for consumers or it belongs to a man other than the worker. The other part in this section is the relationship between man and the products they produce. Each "commodity" (product) produced by the worker devalues themselves even more every time the worker produces it and when the commodity increases in price. This happens because the worker uses their own energy to produce the product thus losing the inner self and inner life. Marx also, says this about religion; when man attributes to god the less they have of themselves. According to Marx the reason for these, alienation of man is because of Capitalism related to private property. In the second section, Marx states that throughout history the ruling ideas are always the ruling society, ruling class, and ruling intellectual force. The reason that ruling classes rules over intelligence according to Marx is because that class has the material means to be dominant. He gives the examples of when the bourgeoisie was the ruling class freedom and equality would dominant, but when the aristocracy the concepts of honor and loyalty would dominant society ways of thinking. The reason this kind of thing happens is that people will listen to people who have power. This is still clearly shown throughout society today. One example of this is Peter Warrick and the department store incident. If Peter Warrick was a regular person, he probably would of not gotten the discount that he got for the colthes he got, but by being a nationally reconginized star he got the discount that he got. Another example of this is the O.J Simpson trial. If O.J Simpson was a regular person the trial would not of gone nationally and might had been a different outcome, but by being a star, he influenced the national public and got a not guilty verdict. Throughout this document, Marx clearly showed many biases. One of them was he was an atheist because in the section of Alienated Man he says that religion is the same way as labor because once a person attributes to God the less he is left with themselves. His second bias is towards communism and his dislike of capitalism. He shows this bias in the last part of the Alienated Man by saying that private property and capitalism is why the alienation of man happens. Marx got all these bias when he was young by reading Hegel and Feuerbach; also by living through the industrial revolution influence all these biases. This document written by young Marx influenced many things throughout history: it was one of the starting foundations of later works by Marx for example The Communist Manifesto and also laid the foundation of Communism.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind Essays - Penology, Criminology

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind Essays - Penology, Criminology Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind Out of sight, out of mind. Californias Three Strikes law is based loosely on that very philosophy. When someone is a repeat violator of the criminal justice system, the best solution is to just lock him or her away for a life term without the possibility of parole. We should disregard any of the positive accomplishments these individuals have possibly made to society, their families and their ability to change their lives. Possibly the next step is to simply execute these repeat offenders. Why continue to spend the tax money of hard working Americans to support these criminals? Unfortunately, attitudes like the one just conveyed are too common and are fueling the fire of the Three Strikes law. Out of sight, out of mind has never been a sound solution to any problem, and the Three Strikes law is not a solution. The idea of locking up a repeat offender of the criminal justice system for life is incredibly too convenient. As human beings, most of us will respond to nurture and education. When dealing with criminals, this becomes known as rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is not something that always comes on the first try. In a very broad sense, it is like learning how to ride a bicycle. You try, and try again until you eventually are riding smoothly and freely down the street. Of course, you fall off. You might even fall twice, or three times, but eventually you do get it. Alcoholics do not always get sober the first time they attend Alcoholics Anonymous. Very often, it takes several attempts; this means several relapses into their dependency on alcohol. Once they are sober, they need to continue their rehabilitation for life. They need to continue with their weekly meetings and with the interaction of other rehabilitated alcoholics. These are the principals that need to be applied to criminals . The argument could be made that some crimes do not merit a second chance at freedom or even rehabilitation. This is true. Murderers, rapists, pedophiles and other violent offenders are an exclusive group of criminals who should serve a severe prison sentence. Repeat offenders of these crimes should absolutely be locked away for life. The Three Strikes law does not consider this. The circumstances of these offenses are never taken into consideration. Michael Riggs stole twenty dollars worth of vitamins and received a sentence of twenty-five years to life. He also had a criminal record and it was his past offenses not his current one that got him the lengthy sentence. Non-violent offenders need rehabilitation, not permanent captivity. The underlying idea here is that these criminals need help and rehabilitation at the very first offense. There is no denying that a criminal owes a debt to society and that jail time should be served. Programs need to be set up to rehabilitate criminals the first time they stray from justice. Prison to work programs will also create opportunities for these criminals to be able to find work after prison and have a purpose. A human being can not be put out of sight or out of mind, because we as Americans are not blind nor are we unforgiving.

How to Write University of Wisconsin-Madison Essays 2017-18

The University of Wisconsin–Madison (the official state university of Wisconsin) is a public university that was founded in 1848, directly following Wisconsin’s acquisition of statehood. Wisconsin is well known not only for its excellent academics, but also for its hugely successful NCAA athletic teams. The 936-acre campus is located right next to downtown Madison, which is consistently ranked as one of the best college towns in the country. With nearly 5,000 unique courses and over 200 distinct majors, it’s no wonder that the University of Wisconsin–Madison attracted 32,887 applicants to the Class of 2016. The 52.6% acceptance rate necessitates strong supplemental essays, and we at are here to help you break them down step by step! Students can apply online, using either the Common Application or the University of Wisconsin Application System. Both application options require two supplemental pieces of writing: a short prompt and a long prompt. Below, you’ll find the two prompts along with our take on the best way to tackle the essays, as well as some tips on what you should (and shouldn’t) include in your supplements. This prompt shouldn’t be too difficult — with a limit of 100 words, you’re going to be writing no more than a few sentences. While you should use this short essay as an opportunity to elaborate on the activity that portrays you in the best light, make sure that the selected activity is actually â€Å"important to you.† If the extracurricular that you select appears impressive (think three-time section leader in your all-state band, or coordinator of a peer tutoring program that works with nearly one hundred kids), but you’re not able to articulate why it’s relevant to your life and your journey through high school, the admissions committee won’t be impressed. Don’t feel like the activity you write about needs to be one in which you held leadership; while leadership in the activity is of course looked highly upon, the genuine story you tell about its importance to you is key. Take this scenario: You were elected student body president as a junior and presided over all student council meetings. While you enjoyed the position, you’re planning on majoring in biology and not government. Last summer, you were one of the few interns at a local research hospital, where you helped discover a previously unknown bacterium. Even though you’ll likely put â€Å"student body president† as the first item on your activity list, you may want to write the short essay about your experience at the hospital, which led you to decide on a biology major. If you participated in any type of volunteer work, at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter, and feel that those experiences had a profound impact on you, you could write about the volunteer work. That being said, you don’t necessarily need to write about volunteer/community service activities! If you were the president of your high school’s school store, or the captain of your town’s travel soccer team, and that significantly defined your past few years, you can absolutely choose it as your activity. The key is just to make sure admissions officers get a more in-depth look at who you are through the lens of the activity. Whichever activity you choose, be sure that your writing is clear, concise, and effective. There’s no need for complex metaphors, nor overly intense descriptions. As long as it’s evident to the reader that your activity had a meaningful impact on your development as an individual, you’ve done your job! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. In the long essay prompt, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is looking for a modified version of the â€Å"why us† supplement. Even if Wisconsin isn’t your top choice, for the purposes of this essay, you should put yourself in the shoes of a student that’s wanted to attend Wisconsin for the past few years. If you have family ties to the university, or live in Wisconsin and have grown up rooting for the Badgers in sporting events, don’t hesitate to mention it! The admissions committee wants to see commitment and genuine interest in the school—they should instantly feel your passion for Wisconsin as they read through your essay. While the prompt appears to pose two questions: â€Å"Why Us?,† and â€Å"What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student?† you should be blending the two questions together throughout your supplement. Show your passion by mentioning specific courses, clubs, or programs that you are interested in. The university website will be your greatest resource for this — there’s a wealth of information available! Explain how your experiences throughout high school qualify you for admission to the University of Wisconsin. Articulate how those experiences demonstrate, in the words of the admissions website, â€Å"leadership, concern for others and the community, and achievement in the arts, athletics, and other areas.† Try to provide an example of each of those three areas (or, better yet, find an activity that combines multiple). Serving as the captain of a school athletic team demonstrates both leadership and athletic achievement while selling handmade crafts at charity auctions demonstrates concern for community and artistic achievement. Don’t try to make the entire essay just about these three facets of your personality, but do make sure that you adequately explain how your activities exemplify each character trait. Also, don’t be afraid to talk about experiences unrelated to your major: If you’re applying to the School of Education, you can absolutely bring up an organization in the School of Business that focuses on entrepreneurship, like the WAVE or WEB program, or a research opportunity, like the Grainger Institute in the School of Engineering — the more well-rounded your interests are at Wisconsin, the more likely you are to be accepted. The last, and optional, component of the prompt asks you to explain any â€Å"circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement.† Be very careful with what you write here, and remember that it’s completely optional. If you choose not to include it, there’s really no harm done (and, if anything, it eliminates the possibility of writing something that could decrease your chances of admission). If there was a situation throughout high school that was thrust upon you (think family/personal medical emergency or moving schools), you can absolutely write about that, as it will help to establish sympathy with the reader. If you’ve had any experiences that could reflect negatively on you, including them in the essay may not be wise. Writing about depression, drug/alcohol use, or criminal activity could raise red flags and prevent you from being accepted. If you feel strongly about including one of these topics (or something similar), definitely reach out to a guidance counselor, teacher, or trusted adult to ensure that you’re crafting your message in the best possible way. We hope our analysis of the two supplemental essay prompts has helped you to fine-tune your plans for your Wisconsin-Madison application!

Analyze the Running Case on pages 456-457 of the textbook Essay

Analyze the Running Case on pages 456-457 of the textbook - Essay Example To finish all projects in time, it is important to allocate sufficient resources and manpower to all projects. The first step will be workforce planning which involves anticipating and integrating human resource in order to preempt contingencies that would prevent delivery of a project in time and at the allocated budget. Each project will have a work plan which gives the expected progress with time, budget, resources and expected contingencies and ways of mitigating them. For the parts carried out by the company procedures and work instructions, a standard progress reporting form will be prepared with fields for the report date, status of the project as a percentage, expected status as of that date from the project planning, budget used as a percentage of the total, next report date and a description of the progress made in the project. "We are also concerned that the longer the full implementation takes †¦.† By Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY advertisement on FBI behind schedule, over budget on computer system. From this it is quite evident that a project that goes beyond the stipulated plan bracket ends up by being costly. To implement the completion of the project within the budget bracket, PMO executes the project(s) through four phases where in the initial stages, the PMO team is trained on the basic project management processes, standards to be followed when running the project (Mahnic, & Zabkar, 2012) . For the projects to be carried out by subcontractors, and partners, progress reporting dates will be agreed upon and included in the progress contract. A similar progress reporting form will be used by external contractors with actual inspection by Wild Solutions staff to verify the claims of the submitted progress report. Control process for progress reporting focus on software design schedule, construction schedule, budget and resources (Mahnic, & Zabkar, 2012). Under design schedule, reporting will focus on how well the completed part of

Human Belief System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Belief System - Essay Example Bruce focuses on the new biology known as epigenetic, which shows how the energy and consciousness are critical in changing life on earth as DNA and chemistry (Lipton 69). He brings his clarity, insight and humor unveiling how we perceive things including: 1. How thought and emotion controls the character of every cell. 2. Quantum physics and life 3. Cooperation and evolution and these are supported by following quote In fact, only five percent of cancer and heart suffering patients can associate their disease suffering to being passed on from parents to siblings. While the mediums of communication made a big excitement upon the discovery of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes, they failed to criticize critically that 95% of breast tumor are not caused by genetic material passed on parents to siblings. The tendency of a medical condition in a significant number of cancer patients is derived from environmentally leads to epigenetic alterations and not intercepted DNA." (Lipton, pg 72) Among the refuters of Lipton ideas is the selfish gene which is a book on evolution which builds its principal on adaptation and natural selection theory. The name expresses the gene view of evolution where it follows that two or more individuals are genetically related and that makes them behave selflessly with each other. The selfish gene concept is proficient at explaining many forms of altruism. An organism is expected to evolve so as to maximize its inclusive fitness thus a number of its copies are passed on globally, this make the population to evolve toward evolutionary stable strategy. He proposes the idea of initial molecule that multiplied itself and survived over the other genes. Gene combination helps an organism to survive and to reproduce thus improving genes own chances of being inherited. As a result, those that succeed will be beneficial to the organism. Genes can reproduce each other at the expense of the organism, and thus power struggle is limited. (Dawkin, 112) Explains that the selfish gene can be subtle gene, and its world revolves on savage competition, ruthless exploitation and deceit. The act of apparent altruism does not exist in nature he explain how a bee will sting and die to protect the hive and birds risks their life to warn the flock of an approaching hawk thus providing an explanation that it’s the selection that favors gene that promotes cooperation among them (P.30). This happened to the point that communal nature of a colonyidentical genesis for all intents and purposes unrecognizable. This theory of selective genes is similar to the theory of evolution According to the Charles Darwin he held an opinion that life is similar. Therefore, there are descendants who originate from a common ancestor have the same characteristics and thus presumes that development of life is purely natural and modified with descent. He explains the concept of natural selection where it seeks to preserve and accumulate minor and advanta geous genetic mutation (Charles 162). A good demonstration is where an individual inherits a negative gene, and in turn passes on to his or her descendants these inferior members of the same group will be disadvantageous and thus will be outlived by the superior ones who exhibit positive genes as inherited by them. Therefore from the above it shows that this theory refutes Lipton since cell control the

Descartes First Trademark Argument Essay Example for Free

Descartes First Trademark Argument Essay Descartes argues that our idea of God is innate, meaning it is something inside us from birth, something that has always been there and will always be there. He believed that everybody has an idea of God being a supremely perfect being, and comes to the conclusion in his argument, that God himself put this idea there, he even said that our idea of God is like â€Å"the mark of the craftsman stamped on his work† – us being the work, the mark being our knowledge of God himself. For Descartes, the fact that everybody has this innate idea of a supremely perfect God is in itself, proof of his existence; and the fact that this is an a priori argument, makes this argument appealing for all rationalists, as it relies on knowledge, and not sense experience – which Descartes never trusted. The foundation for Descartes argument is the causal adequacy principle, this is the idea that something (for example, A cannot exist unless it is produced or caused by something else that contains formally or eminently everything that is found in A. Formal reality refers to the basic properties that a thing possesses. However, this alone would cause problems for Descartes argument, because God obviously does not possess all of the properties, of all of the objects on earth, take for example a stone, its properties are hard, round, rough. God is not these things. The way Descartes gets round this is by saying that something say again, a stone, can be caused by something that contains the properties eminently. To contain something eminently, means for the cause to not necessarily have the same properties as the effect, but to have a greater property. So God may not possess the qualities of a stone (say hardness) however he possesses a quality greater then this. In other words, the causal adequacy effects means the cause of something can be no less then the effect. Descartes then takes this principle, and believes he can apply it to ideas, in particular the idea of God as a maximally/supremely perfect being, the cause of this idea, must therefore must contain formally or eminently maximum perfection, so therefore the cause of the idea of God must itself be maximally perfect. Descartes then uses deductive reasoning to decide where the idea came from, he first asked, could he be the source of the idea? However concludes that he can’t be, because he himself is not supremely perfect, and therefore he can’t be the cause of a supremely perfect being. He then considers if the idea of a supremely perfect being could have come through his senses, however he decides this isn’t possible, as he knows he has never seen (heard, smelt, tasted) a supremely perfect being. He then asks if he could have imagined a supremely perfect being, again he concludes he couldn’t have, because his idea of God is too clear and distinct to have come from his imagination. He therefore deducts that the cause of the idea of a supremely perfect being, is actually an existing supremely perfect being who ‘placed’ this idea in his mind; so therefore, God exists. There are however, a number of criticisms to this argument, firstly, many philosophers have raised doubts as to whether the causal adequacy principle is actually true to real life, as there are a number of examples in everyday situations where the cause at least appears to be less then the effect, for example, a match causing a roaring bonfire, or a whisper causing an avalanche. Further examples include chaos theory – the idea that a flutter of a butterfly’s wing can cause an earthquake. If indeed causal adequacy principle isn’t true, Descartes’ whole argument is flawed, as if the cause can be less great then the effect, then Descartes indeed could have created him himself. The second criticism is David Hume’s argument, that you cannot know a cause a priori, but only by experience. He says you cannot determine the cause of something, simply by using reasoning, for example, if a window is broken, you know it must have been something big enough to produce enough force to break it by our past experiences, not by using a priori reasoning. He concludes that you have to have to have observed the cause and the effect to truly know what happened, and therefore the cause must be in existence. The third criticism questions whether we can actually have an idea of a supremely perfect being, Thomas Aquinas doubts our imaginings of God, because he is too great, and that it is impossible for us to understand some of his qualities, particularly the idea of God being infinite, as it is beyond out understanding to understand what such qualities actually mean, and therefore we don’t have a genuine idea of God. The forth criticism of Descartes’ argument is that the idea of God is incoherent, there are attributes which appear to be just plain contradictory, for example God is both immanent and transcendent. There is also doubt raised over Gods supposed omnipotence, can he make a rock so heavy that he can’t lift it? It seems either way his omnipotence will be compromised. There is also the problem of evil, if God is all good, omniscient and omnipotent, then why does he allow suffering in the world? It would therefore seem that the idea of God is unclear, and if so it is likely the cause isn’t that great, and so would make sense that the cause could in fact have been Descartes himself. Another criticism is that the idea of God is not universal, as many other religions do not have an idea of one all powerful God, and therefore the idea of God cannot be innate, as if it was, it would be inside all of us. Also, it is put that the idea of omnipotence cannot be divine, as it can be traced back to having historical routes as tribes fought over who had the greatest God, they would start with ‘our God is powerful’ until one tribes got to ‘our God is maximally powerful’ – and therefore cannot be beaten by the other tribe. Descartes would argue that the fact other religions don’t acknowledge one maximally perfect God does not mean the innate idea is not in us, it just means they have chose to ignore it, or haven’t been made aware of it. He compares it to maths, in the way that we may not have used its truths and laws (i. e. that a triangles interior angles add up to 180) however they are still truths none the less. The last criticism is the empiricists account for the idea of God, that we have experienced attributes such as power, knowledge and goodness in people around them and simply extended them to the idea of God, therefore the cause is less great then the effect, and the idea is not innate. One thing it has in it’s favor, is that it is an a priori argument, and therefore uses reasoning, something rationalist would find very appealing, it means that if the premise can be accepted that it can give 100% certainty. Overall, I feel Descartes’ argument has too many valid criticisms for it to be considered as a successful argument, and its foundation- casual adequacy principle, is itself flawed, leaving the whole argument to fail.

Home vs. The Exotic in Shakespeares The Tempest Essays -- Shakespeare

Home vs. The Exotic in Shakespeare's The Tempest Home. Just the word conjures up feelings of familiarity and comfort, a place that is welcoming and memorable. Does home necessarily have to represent a place? Rather, can it encompass a multitude of feelings and objects that represent comfort and ease? The post-colonial novel often strives to strike a balance, whether it be uneven, between what is considered foreign and exotic and that which is homely and familiar. Post-colonial literature frequently is representative of the interplay between characters' experiences in an exotic environment versus those at home. With this interplay between home and the exotic comes a dynamic complexity that explores themes such as fears and desires, freedom, gender roles, and sexuality. With an overarching comparison between home and a foreign environment, the many layers of the meaning of post-coloniality can be filtered out and explored in depth. Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, serves as an excellent example of the interaction between the ideas of home and the exotic. These ideas are not only displayed in setting, but also represented by many of the main characters in the play. The study of this play can be considered a re-interpretation of a canonical text in light of post-colonial themes. The story is one of intrigue that explores the personalities of individual characters and their role in relation to what they consider as home and foreign. The characters that are most important in explaining these ends include Prospero, his daughter Miranda and Prospero's two servants, Ariel and Caliban. Each one has a set of separate experiences on the island that shape their ability to determine what they find comforting and homely and what is exoti... ...sa. This somewhat simple observation has resounding qualities in this post-colonial text as it blurs the defining line between home and the exotic. It can be concluded from these observations that the ideas of homeliness and exoticness are not necessarily balanced in the post-colonial text, but rather blurred so the definitions are defined with each other instead of against each other. Apparent from this play, the post-colonial text ties in the features of home and the exotic while incorporating various post-colonial themes. The Tempest, being considered a canonical text, has undergone re-interpretations in a post-colonial light to display varied themes central to texts written and referring to time periods during and after colonization. Through the character's experiences, the ideas of home and the exotic are exposed, revealing post-colonial meanings and ideas.

The Rise of Social Media

â€Å"Man is a social animal†, goes the popular adage. Interaction with fellow beings is a vital part of being human. Community makes us feel complete through exchange of ideas and knowledge. It is therefore not surprising that we constantly try to find better and faster means of communication and information sharing. Our relentless efforts in these areas have led to a phenomenon whose far reaching impacts make it nothing short of a global revolution. That phenomenon is the rise of Social Media.If the internet gave birth to a revolution in the way we stored and sought information, then social media has brought about a revolution in the way we exchange and use information. â€Å"Social Media† is a term that is relatively young of age. It’s definition on â€Å"Wikipedia†, which ironically is also one of its most glorious examples, reads – â€Å"media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques†.Examples of social media include weblogs, social networking sites such as Facebook and My Space, information sharing platforms such as Wikipedia or Twitter, and media sharing platforms such as YouTube. Before the explosion of social media, dissemination of information on a large scale was majorly restricted to â€Å"mass media† such as internet websites, newspapers, television and radio. Broadcasting information using these channels required at least some level of technical or professional expertise.Over the past few years however, development of web technologies that simplify mass collaboration has revolutionised the way content is produced and shared. Now anyone with a computer (or a mobile phone) and internet access has the ability to almost effortlessly share information across the globe and make their views heard, right from their homes, without the need to have significant resources or technical skills at their disposal. The rise of social m edia has had a tremendous influence on the way I and billions around the world think, communicate, learn and behave as we take on different roles during a normal day.Some of those roles being â€Å"the social animal† , â€Å"the global citizen†, â€Å"the consumer†, â€Å"the student†, â€Å"the activist†, â€Å"the professional† and â€Å"the common man†. Me the social animal Looking back though, a lot of the social media platforms didn’t exactly start off doing what they do today. Sites such as Facebook or MySpace started off with a simple objective of allowing people to keep in touch with near and dear ones. My first experience with such a medium was through a networking site called â€Å"Hi5†, as a means to keep in touch with friends.Twitter started off as a simple web equivalent of text messaging. In those nascent stages these platforms allowed people to socialise and to be entertained, hence serving the social anim al in all of us. However, radical changes in these mediums over the last few years have forever changed my perception of their usage and potential. Me, the global citizen Perhaps the most significant change these platforms have enabled is to level the playing field. No longer do I need to be a media celebrity or a seasoned journalist to make my views heard.Mediums such as blogs and twitter give everyone a chance to stand up and be counted. What this has done is to make the world of information sharing truly democratic. The impact of this development has made those in high up places acknowledge the power these mediums hold. When US president Barack Obama was inaugurated into presidency in January 2009, CNN and the Whitehouse collaborated on Facebook to stream the broadcast to a worldwide audience. I remember getting the Goosebumps while watching the stream that generated 600,000 messages.All those messages flashing endlessly on my screen brought about the feeling that I was a part of a global debate. The Obama administration extensively used twitter to reach out to people all around the world. What this has done is to change my perception of how election campaigns or political debates can be carried out. Over time I feel more and more leaders worldwide will need to embrace such mediums if they really wish to have a global outreach. Me the activist Social media has also changed the way we can promote social causes.A great example of this is of â€Å"Earthour. org† in 2009, when Facebook and YouTube were extensively used to co-ordinate a worldwide movement that encouraged people to turn off their electrical appliances for one hour to promote awareness about climate change. This remarkable concept managed to mobilize people from more than 4000 cities all around the world. The event which enabled people in any part of the world to come together and be a part of a global cause has radically changed my view of how global movements can be initiated.All one has to do is to choose a cause and they will have multiple mediums at their disposal to spread the message. Me the consumer In the commercial space, Social media marketing has grown leaps and bounds. Dell attributed $6. 5 million worth of sales to twitter in 2009. What has made corporations adopt such mediums so readily is the opportunity to reach directly to me, their consumer. What’s significant is that now instead of being a spectator; I can also provide my feedback, suggestions or grievances about a product directly to the people that make it, instantly.Not only does this empower me as a consumer, it also provides corporations a very effective medium of targeting the right demographic and audience, optimising their production and efficiency in the process. Me the student Since its very inception, Social Media has held tremendous potential in knowledge sharing. As the world gets smaller and smaller, more and more students look to study in universities across the globe. This ma kes it critical that the institution reaches out to me, the student; to provide the right information at the right time.Going beyond the normal website, phone and email, more and more institutions are establishing an online presence on sites such as Facebook that allow them to reach out to a highly active and driven audience. Taking Oxford itself as an example, Said Business School’s Facebook page allows potential students to directly interact with representatives from the institution and also see what other students have already discussed. Not only does this simplify communication, it also reduces overheads of redundant emails or phone calls. Social media also provides a global platform for talented individuals to share their skills and knowledge.A great example of this is YouTube. I had always had a keen interest in learning to play the guitar. However, a hectic work schedule and high costs of a private teacher meant that private schedule bound lessons were not a viable opt ion. Instead, I started using the numerous video lessons available on YouTube put up by talented musicians with a view to sharing passions. This is nothing short of a learning revolution as it gives anyone the chance to take lessons on anything from cooking to advanced maths free of cost, at a time and place that suits them the best, with option to play and pause as much as they like.Me the Professional Professionally, social media has had a tremendous impact on the way I work. A few years back when Wikipedia came up, I and a few colleagues were hugely impressed with how it took collaboration to a whole new level. Inspired by the concept, we started experimenting with our own internal Wiki-based organisation wide information sharing platform that would promote collaboration between employees across different teams.Upon its completion, it provided an easy to use medium for our associates to share, discuss and collaborate on topics ranging from technical concepts to HR processes to id eas for the next cultural event. Social media avenues such as blogs are also changing the way that managements communicate with their employees. In a lot of organisations including mine, more and more managers have started maintaining blogs where they share their views on a variety of professional and non-professional topics. I feel it’s a fantastic way of really reaching out to your employees.It is more effective and personal than the general â€Å"CEO’s message† emails that otherwise get churned out. By getting instant feedback on their blogs from enthusiastic employees, leaders can quickly feel the pulse of the organisation and use that knowledge to make better decisions. Me the common man If there is one aspect of social media that has influenced me the most in recent times, then it has to be its effectiveness in ensuring a lightning fast flow of information in times of national calamities, unfortunate incidents such as terror attacks or political unrest.Rec ently, platforms such as twitter have been critical in ensuring an immediate spread of information across the globe. When the unfortunate terror attacks took place in Mumbai in November 2008, frantic phone calls from anxious friends and family members to the city from had started saturating the cell phone networks, unable to reach my friends, I was reassured of their safety through their twitter updates. At the time, even news agencies were following twitter updates from citizens to get a view of the ground level reality.Over time, we have seen such micro-blogging mediums play an ever increasing role as reliable mediums of breaking news. This development has revolutionised my perception of journalism. In essence, it allows the common man to become a reporter and provide his own perception of the latest breaking news to entire world. Two sides to a coin My Strong beliefs on the significance of social media however do not imply that I do not acknowledge the shortcomings of the social media revolution. There are two sides to a coin.Some of the factors that make social media great also lead to some of its shortcomings. The widespread and free availability of social media often lead to an overload of content. Such high volumes mean that finding relevant and useful content often becomes a challenge. I believe that there need to be more efficient filtering mechanisms developed to enable faster sourcing of content that’s relevant. The anonymity that the internet provides to everyone makes social media platforms vulnerable to misuse. Examples of dubious elements harming naive web users are widespread.There is a need to promote a more educated use of such mediums and to establish more stringent controls to help counter such misdoings. Social media has often also been criticised for the work/life balance that it tends to disrupt or the productivity concerns it raises when people use social networking sites at work. Spending too much time online cuts one off from r eal life and defeats the very objective of collaboration. I feel this is more down to the individual, and as is true of everything in life, a balance needs to be maintained. Tip of the IcebergTo conclude, I feel what I’ve seen so far is only beginning and social media is only going to keep bringing about radical changes to what I perceive to be the definitive ways of information sharing and communication. Social media has proven itself to be a very powerful tool of empowering the individual to become a part of a global community. My beliefs in the potential of social media have only strengthened over time and I feel that the constant developments in this field will ensure that the way we communicate, educate, collaborate and trade will never be the same again.

Analysing the impact of Chinese FDI in Africa: A case study of Nigeria and Ghana.

INTRODUCTIONResearch ProblemThe proposed research aims to examine the effect of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Ghana and Nigeria in order to perform a cross-country analysis of the respective impacts of such investments in these countries. Ghana and Nigeria share a number of similar characteristics, which make for a useful comparison, as it is posited in this study that the similarities between the two African countries will allow for a cross-national comparison of the impacts of Chinese FDI in these countries. The results of the analysis will be used to make recommendations on how Ghana and Nigeria should make appropriate use of China’s FDI to achieve development in these countries. Analyzing the impact of Chinese FDI in Ghana and Nigeria has been the topic of some academic research. However, previous studies have focused on the individual relationships between these African countries and China (SWAC/OECD, 2011). With the rapid changes in the global investment environment, especially in light of the global recession, it is essential to identify the key determining factors of FDI inflows to Ghana and Nigeria, in order to analyze the impact of these FDIs in this region. Although economic growth has been specified as a developmental goal in this region, academic research exploring the nature of the economic relationship between China and Ghana / China and Nigeria suggests that the influx of FDI into these developing economies may have the effect of retarding the overall development in these countries, as it prioritizes the exploitation of natural resources over essential developmental goals (Oyeranti, et al., 2010).Aims and ObjectivesThis research has two main goal s. First is to assess the impacts of Chinese FDI in Ghana and Nigeria in order to conduct a cross-country analysis of their respective economic relationships. Second is to analyze the overall impact of Chinese FDI on the development of these countries. In order to realize the primary goals of this study, the following objectives have been identified: To establish a theoretical framework for analyzing the impacts of FDI in developing countries, specifically within the context of countries in the West African which have abundant natural resources To construct a theoretical framework for measuring the impacts of FDI in Ghana and Nigeria, taking into consideration the differences in economic development and investment climate. To determine the factors influencing the economic relationship between China and Ghana / China and Nigeria, and to analyze these in terms of the established framework. To compare and contrast the respective impacts of Chinese FDI on Ghana and Nigeria in order to draw conclusions regarding how to manage and improve their relationshipsResearch QuestionsA set of research questions has been formulated based on the main goals and objectives of the study. These questions help to guide the study by ensuring that the analysis stays focused on the primary research subject. Below are the research questions for this study : What are the determinants of FDI impacts in African countries and how are these measured What are the specific impacts of Chinese FDI in Ghana and Nigeria How do these impacts correlate with the determinants identified in question 1 To what extent are the impacts of Chinese FDI in Ghana and Nigeria comparable What cross-country recommendations can be made in order to ensure that developmental goals and positive determinants of FDI are achieved in both countriesBackground informationDue to rapid globalization and the growing interdependence among countries, FDI has been recognized as one of the most significant means of international capital transfers. Over the years, FDI has grown to be an essential component in the economic development of many nations (Benacek et. al., 2000). Morgan (2003) and Johnson (2005) have highlighted the beneficial impacts that FDI can provide to a host country. These include: (a) generating additional resources such as capital and technology, to help boost the level of domestic outputs and deliver better, more affordable goods and services; (b) outflow of human resources, management practices and technologies from foreign firms to domestic businesses , which enables the host country to improve their operations and competitiveness; and (c) increased involvement of the host country in transnational markets, such as foreign exchange market and international trade. Due to the economic growth and welfare that FDI brings to the host country, this investment is preferred by most developing countries because it offers a faster way to achieve a more advanced level of economic development. However, FDI presents a lot of risks for investors. Due to these risks, countries are compelled to offer tangible incentives, as well as to put supportive regulation and systems in place to draw investors. Unfortunately, most developing nations frequently neglect to build an incentive system for foreign financiers (Botric & Skuflic, 2005). Consequently, the bulk of FDI is offered to developed countries such as the US, Germany, and Belgium (UNCTAD, 2011a). Traditionally, investment relationships in Ghana and Nigeria are established with European and American investment partners, as these countries are the primary sources of FDI, trade, and financial and technical aid. These relationships involve a number of bilateral and regional agreements with Nigeria and Ghana. Despite the many years of economic relationships with these countries, there are still differing opinions as to the impact of these investments on the development of Ghana and Nigeria (Tsikata, et al., 2010). FDI in Africa has been increasing steadily since 2002 with approximately $53 billion worth of FDI in 2007, representing an increase from 2006 of 47.2%. This increase was the highest recorded level of FDI in Africa at the time. With the global recession, the percentage of global FDI into Africa has experienced a significant decline from 3.2% in 2006 to 2.9% in 2007. Since then, however, the African economy has proved resilient, growing to over $61.9 billion in 2008, and the rate of return on FDI in Africa since 2004 has grown to 12.1%. In addition, mergers and acquisitions in Africa have risen by approximately 157% to $2 billion in 2008 (Oyeranti, et al., 2010). Investment in Nigeria and Ghana by Chinese investors has grown substantially since 1971 as a result of the complementary nature of their economies. Chinese investment in Ghana has been growing consistently in the previous decade with significant increase seen from 2004 to 2005, representing $3.09 million and $17.87 million, respectively. Research indicates that the Chinese share, as a percentage of total investment by China in Ghana, implies that FDI is increasing (Frimprong, 2012). Investment by the Chinese in Nigeria reveals a similar situation, as Chinese FDI grew twice as much between 2003 and 2005, increasing from $3 billion to $6 billion. Ghana and Nigeria lack significant investments in infrastructure that is needed to support the development required to result in measurable economic growth. To this end, China has developed a successful and competent construction industry, coupled with the ability to provide Nigeria and Ghana with the requisite capital needed to drive this infrastructure development (Oyeranti, et al., 2010). In this way, the flow of investment into Ghana and Nigeria is complementary due to the nature and needs of the respective economies. However, the Chinese industrialization drive and the subsequent inflow of FDI into China’s economy has led to rapid growth in the manufacturing sector, which entails the use of oil and mineral inputs that are overwhelming China’s internal resource capabilities (Ibid). As a result, China is looking to developing nations such as Nigeria and Ghana to supplement their energy resource requirements to support their growing economy. Consequently, the relation ship between Chinese FDI inflows into Ghana and Nigeria are being described as exploitative and as having an upsetting effect on the Western development goals that have been set for the region (Tsikata, et al., 2010). This negative perception about China’s interest in Nigeria and Ghana are due to the fact that the oil and gas sector accounts for more than 75% of Chinese investments. This implies that China seeks to exploit Nigeria’s natural resources. This further suggests that Chinese FDI in Nigeria is a relationship prone to exploitation and is potentially damaging to the developmental goals of the region (Oyeranti, et al., 2010). Despite these negative views, Chinese FDI in Nigeria and Ghana has not been focused solely on the exploitation of natural resources. Chinese FDI has actually helped to achieve significant growth in the manufacturing and services industry in both countries (Frimpong, 2012). The investment climate in Africa has become significantly more attractive as a result of the considerable efforts to liberalize investment regulations and offer incentives for FDI. The result, however, has not been as positive as originally intended due to significant concerns over the economic and political stability of the region. LITERATURE REVIEWFDI definitionThe analysis of relevant literature has shown that there is not one universally recognized definition of FDI. Nevertheless, the various definitions of FDI do not differ considerably. FDI is commonly perceived as either a real phenomenon or a financial phenomenon (Moosa, 2002). Within the perspective of a financial phenomenon, FDI is defined as: A kind of transnational investment transfer; wherein FDI is the outcome of variations in interest rates between two economies, because the country with higher interest levels is more appealing for foreign businesses An external supply of funding for the national economy ? FDI shows the influxes of foreign investment into the nation within a certain timeframe, which is indicated in the balance of payments A means of reducing and eventually eradicating poverty through FDI-driven economic growth in developing countries, and in Africa, specifically in light of United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) (Asiedu, 2006) However, when FDI is considered exclusively in financial terms, there seems to be an underestimation of the degree to which FDI is related with a varied array of production elements. Among the most crucial non-financial inflows are managerial skills, expertise, and technology. This implies that although financial flows seem to a main component of FDI, it is not necessarily the leading element. Furthermore, according to Moosa (2002) a distinctive characteristic of FDI compared with other kinds of international investments is its function in directing management policies and decisions. As such, describing FDI as purely a financial phenomenon appears to undervalue this aspect. A more inclusive definition of FDI that is mostly acknowledged by other international organizations (e.g. IMF, Eurostat, UNCTAD) is proposed by OECD. According to the OECD (1999, p.7), FDI ’reflects the aim of obtaining a lasting interest by a resident entity of one economy (direct investor) in an enterprise that is resident of another economy (direct investment enterprise).’ The term ’lasting interest’ refers to the formation of a long-standing association concerning the investor and the direct investment establishment This also involves important impacts on the management of such enterprise. A direct investor is ’the owner of 10% or more of ordinary shares or voting stock‘(OECD, 1999, p.8). The IMF recommends applying this requirement of a minimum 10% ownership to differentiate direct investment vis-a-vis portfolio investment through shareholding. Based from this perspective, a direct investor can be any of the following entities: (a) individual, (b) group of associated individuals, (c) government, (d) incorporated or unincorporated company, private or public, and (e) group of associated companies, incorporated or unincorporated. The entity has a direct investment establishment situated in a country that is not where the direct investor resides (Duce, 2003). Direct investment enterprise can have any of the subsequent forms: Subsidiary ? a direct investor controls greater than 50% of the voting power allocated to shareholders. Controlling the shareholdings can be done either directly or indirectly, via a different subsidiary. The direct investor has the authority to secure or terminate members of the Supervisory Board or Management Board. Associate Company ? a direct investor owns between 10 to 50 % of the voting power allocated to shareholders. Likewise the control of shareholdings can be done either directly or indirectly. Branch ? a direct investor is also the owner of an unincorporated establishment (whole or joint ownership) in the host country. This can be in several forms, such as a joint venture, an unincorporated partnership, or a permanent office for the direct investor. This may also be in the form of fixed/immobile equipment, movable equipment, property, or constructions located in the host country (OECD, 1999). Choosing a specific kind of direct investment business also depends on different considerations, the most significant of which is the present law in the host country (Duce, 2003). In considering the impact of Chinese FDI in Ghana and Nigeria, it is useful to consider the form of investment that FDI takes, with regard to the respective economies. Based from preliminary research, it is clear that Chinese FDI in Nigeria is significantly higher than its FDI in Ghana, when compared to one another. Considering the high concentration of FDI in the oil and gas sector, it is possible that the economic relationship between Nigeria and Chinese may be contradictory to the developmental goals and overall well-being of the country. Whilst Chinese FDI in Ghana is seen across a variety of sectors such as aluminum, iron ore, manganese, alloy, timber, waste materials, cocoa beans, cotton linters, and frozen fish (Rahman, 2012). This indicates that the overall impacts of Chinese FDI in Ghana may be more attuned to developmental goals, compared to China’s relationship with Nigeria.FDI determinants – Theoretical ApproachAs FDI became a focal point in the current global economy, researchers have attempted to describe the conduct of multinational firms and FDI determinants through the proposal of different theories. Adam Smith (Concept of Absolute Advantages) and David Ricardo (Theory of Comparative Advantages) had originally discussed FDI as a feature of international trade. Smith and Ricardo proposed that countries should focus on producing goods where they can offer a cost advantage (i.e. absolute advantage for Smith; comparative advantage for Ricardo). The surplus of goods generated by a country is intended for export. Simultaneously, the country imports goods that it cannot produce domestically because it lacks cost advantages for their production (Sen, 2010). The theories of Smith and Ricardo are the foundations of current views on FDI. Therefore, these will be considered in the design of the theoretical framework. Heckscher and Olin linked international trade and with the benefits brought by the factors of production. Thus, a country must focus in producing final goods of which the raw materials are reasonably plentiful in the country. Conversely, the country is recommended to import the basic components of goods that are in limited supply. This theory regards FDI as a component of transnational capital movement. FDI flows are seen amongst economies and are described by various capital concentrations. Countries that are well-off in terms of capital transfer their production to countries that have abundant labor supply. This is characterized by more returns to capital and lesser returns to labor. This process continues till labor and capital are equalized in the countries involved (Benacek et al., 2000). While these theories were able to associate FDI with labor costs and higher rates of investment returns, these were unable to completely rationalize FDI phenomenon (Assuncao, 2010). As such, th ese will not be fully utilized in the creation of this study’s theoretical framework. Another FDI theory is given by Kindleberger (1969), who presumes that direct investment can be cultivated in situations where market shortcomings or government interferences exist. In this context, particular economies produce commodities in which they can demonstrate a comparative advantage; while other products are exported because the country cannot produce them efficiently. Thus, the relationship between FDI and trade can be either substitutable or complementary. Kindleberger’s (1969) theory is applicable to the context of Ghana and Nigeria because of its considerations of market imperfections and government interventions. These will be helpful in explaining some aspects of the theoretical framework. Obstacles to commerce may affect FDI in two contradictory ways. On one hand, high trade barriers tend to boost FDI because these result in high export costs. This contention stresses the location advantage aspect of FDI. In contrast, high trade barriers are a hindrance for the parent company, especially in situations with high levels of trade with associated firms. Other researchers have also discussed the relationship between FDI and trade openness (Balasubramanyam et al., 1996) and majority of studies find a positive association among these variables (Benacek, 2000). Dunning (1993) combined the components of Trade Theory and the Theory of the Firm. Based on the OLI model, Dunning (1993) classified FDI determinants into three groups. These are: (a) Ownership-specific advantages such as technology and know-how; (b) Location-specific advantages including market size, transport costs, etc.; and (c) Advantages that are particular to internationalization, wherein the firm supposes that selling of ownership advantages to third parties is not as lucrative as internally employing these advantages. Moreover, Dunning (1993) came up with the Investment Development Path based from the findings of his study. This framework identified five stages in the development of a country. These stages have a substantial effect on FDI inflows (Gorynia et al., 2005; Benacek et al., 2000). These stages of development will be one of the components in the theoretical framework; thus, this study is important to this research project. The institutional approach presents a different perspective on the subject. Root & Ahmed (1978) and Bond & Samuelson (1986) suggested that the environment, where the enterprise conducts its operations, is unpredictable and unsure. Thus, the firm’s decisions will be greatly affected by institutional forces (i.e. regulations and incentives). However, in actuality, government policy defines the options that are presented to a company and which influences the firm’s decisions regarding FDI, licensing, and exporting (Assuncao, 2010). The role of government in FDI is another aspect which will be explored in the theoretical framework. The institutional approach will be part of this analysis. Last but not least, it is beneficial to consider Ozawa’s (1992) study, which connects the patterns in developing countries with Porter’s theory of a country’s competitive advantages. According to Porter, there are four groups of attributes that can be applied to a country. These are: (a) factor conditions; (b) demand conditions; (c) firm strategy, structure and rivalry; and (d) related and supported enterprises. These have an influence on the nation’s competitiveness (Smith, 2012). Ozawa argues that the foreign investment received by developing countries, which are mainly allocated to labor-intensive sectors, results in a process of learning and technology purchase. It aids developing economies to raise their competitive advantages and thus, push the economy onward along the various stages of development ? moving from the fundamental factor-driven stage to the innovation-driven stage. This is described by an increasing external FDI (Ozawa, 1992). The discu ssion on competitive advantage is again a major component of the theoretical framework which will be the outcome of this research. As such, the study by Ozawa (1992) presents some arguments that are crucial to the discussion of this research.FDI determinants – ClassificationDunning (1998) identified four groups of FDI motives. The first two groups of motives are features of the initial stage of FDI, while other groups are related to sequential FDI (Gorynia et. al., 2005). Resource Seeking – the firm intends to obtain specific resources at less costs than in the local/national market Market Seeking – the firm intends to operate in a specific overseas market because of its size or anticipated growth. The firm builds a global strategy for the foreign market, or reduces the expenditures related to serving a certain market from a neighboring facility instead of from outside the country Efficiency Seeking – the firm intends to justify its production, distribution, and marketing (Gorynia et. al., 2005, p.65) Strategic Asset Seeking – the firm seeks to extend its strategic goals; for instance, supporting their competitiveness in international markets Clause (1999) and Calderon et al., (2002) categorized FDI determinants in two groups: (a) ‘Push factors’ or investor’s intentions to position capital/investment overseas: (b) ‘Pull factors’; or country-specific determinants, also referred to as location determinants. These factors influence the decision of the investor to find capital in a specific country. Additionally, pull factors are political, including growth estimates, or the country’s system of rules/regulations and rewards/incentives. The authors also highlighted other pull elements in the case of transitional economies. These include the process of privatization and the intensification effect, in which a direct investment results in other direct investments (Vita and Kyaw, 2008). Lastly, UNCTAD (2011a) segregated FDI determinants into three categories: (a) policy framework such as economic and political stability, competition policy, etc.; (b) business facilitations, including the costs of business operations, investment motivations, etc.; and (c) economic determinants such as market growth and infrastructure. Although these determinants help to ascertain the overall desirability of the country, the significance of specific groups differs depending on the sector and entry modes. The various FDI determinants will be explored as components of the theoretical framework. These will be investigated to find out which FDI determinants are applicable to the Ghanaian and Nigerian context.Investment Climate in Ghana and Nigeria – A Comparative AnalysisAttracting increasing amounts of FDI has been a significant priority of Ghana’s government when developing and reforming economic policy. The Ghana Investment Advisory Council (GIAC) was formed with the help of the World Bank and is comprised of local and multinational companies and institutional observers from around the world. The aim of the GIAC is to ensure the removal of any regulations, which may discourage FDI in the country. The GIAC, however, does not have regulatory power over the natural resources sector, but does regulate investment in all other sectors, such as banking and other financial institutions, telecommunications, energy and real estate (Tsikata, et al., 2010). The most beneficial eleme nt of the investment climate in Ghana is that there is no general economic or industrial strategy aimed at discriminating against foreign owned business or subsidiaries, but conversely there are incentives offered if the projects are deemed critical for national development. Prior to 1995, Nigeria was considered one of the most unsuitable countries in Western African for FDI due to a combination of considerable restrictions and unsuitable investment climate ? the result of social, economic, and political tensions that continue to plague the country. In 1995, however, Nigeria changed the investment climate substantially by opening the economy to FDI and reversing these severe restrictions. The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) was created to manage the approval of business licenses and motivations to improve the investment climate. All restrictions on limits in foreign shareholding were also abolished in order to promote and facilitate FDI. According to current Nigerian investment law, 100 % foreign ownership of firms is allowed in every sector, with the exception of the petroleum sector. In this sector, investments are restricted to existing joint ventures or new production sharing contracts (Oyeranti, et al., 2010). This, however, is not n ecessarily a restrictive provision specific to Nigeria, since production sharing contracts have become a modern way of ensuring that ownership over natural resources is held by the host nation. It is evident, therefore, that both the Ghanaian and Nigerian investment climates are conducive and receptive to FDI from China. In determining the potential impacts of these investments on the economies of the country, it seems evident that there is a need and desire for large capital investments. At the same time, there is the need to stay in control of their natural resources, namely oil and minerals, which has resulted in the only restriction on FDI in the respective economies. The crucial difference between the two countries is the vast superiority of Nigeria with regards to their oil resources and the far-reaching effects that this has had on the country as a whole. This factor must, therefore, be critically considered to assess the impact of Chinese FDI in the country.Chinese Interest in West Africa – FDI AnalysisChina provides an ideal investment partner to African countries and is often more beneficial to the host nation that traditional investment partners for a numb er of reasons, including fewer demands on the host country in exchange for investment, fewer conditions for assistance, offered assistance at lower rates of repayment and lower interest rates, and offered training for technical and professional personnel in doing so (technology transfer) (Renard, 2011). Historically, the interest in Africa from the Chinese perspective has been primarily based on the need to supplement their own natural resources, with the rapid development of their manufacturing industry necessitating a significant amount of resources far outweighing any domestic production in China itself and with an abundance of these resources in West Africa, China sought to increase their investment in and trade participation within the region. In 1987, China exempted raw materials and other components due for re-export from custom duties which bolstered their international trade with African countries as being a significant source of these products and raw materials (Renard, 20 11). With the Chinese accession to the WTO, the protectionist barriers were further removed and this served to increase trade even further. Trade in components is therefore a significant part of Chinese interest in West Africa, as well as raw materials in exchange for consumer products with low capital intensity with a commitment to moving towards more technology-intensive products. In addition to the trade investment in West Africa, diplomacy in the region has focused on bilateral agreements with African governments. In 1994, the Exim Bank (China Export-Import Bank) was founded to encourage Chinese exports and FDI in Africa, with a specific focus on improving the infrastructure (Wang, 2007). On the other hand, China Development Bank (CDB), also established in 1994, opened the China-Africa Development Fund to assist Chinese FDI distribution into Africa, through the financing of Chinese firms looking to invest in the region. Finally, SINOSURE (China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation) provides these firms with insurance and protects against the risks associated with Chinese exports and foreign investment (Renard, 2011). These banks have a less risk-sensitive profile than most private banks in traditional Western investment partners, making them more willing to encourage to investment in often high-risk African countries, including Nigeria. The opportunity to invest in Africa by Chinese firms is as a result of the long-standing history of trade relations and supported by less risk-sensitive banks. These banks aim to encourage FDI in West African countries in order to sustain and potentially increase trade relations with the Chinese economy. With many of the major players in the Chinese economy being state-owned (as a result of the prevailing political regime), there is a significant interest in encouraging FDI with these West African countries due to China’s desire to sustain its high economic growth. This supports the main assumption of this research that China’s FDIs into Ghana and Nigeria are exploitative in nature. Because China’s desire to sustain its economic growth as the main driving factor for its FDI, there is a lot of suspicion that Chinese state-owned investors will not care about the long-term effects of FDI, especially as it focuses on extracting natural resources and raw materials fro m Ghana and Nigeria. METHODOLOGYResearch PhilosophyThis study applies the positivist philosophy, based on the presumption that experiment and observation are highly significant in perceiving human behavior. According to this philosophy, the world can be understood in a rational way. This approach focuses on analyzing facts and seeks to understand connections; reduces experience to simple components; and tests formulated hypotheses. It usually produces qualitative data, which seeks to be unbiased and precise (Saunders et. al., 2009).Research ApproachThis study is empirical and it acknowledges the significance of gathering and utilizing data, to achieve precise and clear conclusions. Inductive and deductive research approaches will be employed in the study. The deductive approach is described as highly structured. Theories of FDI motivations are first presented, since they are especially relevant to the Chinese FDI climate. Next, the relevance of these theories to both Ghana and Nigeria is discussed through the analysis of empirical data. An inductive approach is observed throughout the gathering and examination of empirical data from trustworthy sources. From this perspective, the researcher analyses the data obtained by others, which has been integrated with the research procedures. Given the research objectives, this study has an explanatory quality . Explanatory research aims to explain if there is an association among two or more variables of a specific incident or phenomenon. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether there is an association between FDI inflows from China to Ghana and Nigeria using a framework for the measurement of these impacts based on economic, political or social factors which may be influenced by foreign investments.Data Collection ProcessPrimary and secondary data will be gathered to analyze the possible impacts of FDI inflows from China. Selected economic indicators will also be analyzed using multiple regression analysis. This research will examine the following economic indicators: GDP growth rates; GDP per capita; inflation rates; employment rates; unit labor costs; trade balances (represented as a percentage of GDP); foreign exchange rates; Corporate Income Tax Rates; percentage of people with higher education; developmental goals identified by the host country and other international bodies, and public spending on higher education. The data that will be used in this research will be taken from several different secondary research sites. Data sources are national statistics, scholarly publications, UNDP, IMF and the World Bank, as well as any other directed research that is seeking to understand the relationship between Chinese FDI and its impacts in Ghana and Nigeria countries.Limitations of ResearchThe current research is limited to the extent that Ghana and Nigeria are compatible in conducting the comparative analysis. The main concern is that the vast difference in the oil dependency of these two countries will lead to a number of conclusions, which are not compatible with one another, due to the fact that the Nigerian economy revolves around oil production. It is reasonable, therefore, to think that the application of this theory to Ghana may lead to conclusions or recommendations for improvement, which cannot be applied to the Nigerian context due to its resource dependency and the influence of the social, political and economic climate. In order to mitigate this limitation, the researcher aims to look specifically at the dependence on natural resources (mineral and oil) in the Ghanaian economy in order to ensure that this factor is given sufficient consideration in reaching the conclusions of this theoretical research.Secondary PublicationsPublished secondary resources will also be utilized in this study. These sources discussed FDI determinants from a general perspective and presented global outflows of FDI from China. These also analyzed the general determinants of FDI impacts in Africa as a developing region, with a specific focus on Ghana and Nigeria, and compared these impacts against one another to determine recommendations for the improvement or mitigation of FDI impacts. The application of secondary data in addressing the objectives of this research will add to the overall clarity of the research. Secondary data will be gathered by studying documents from various sources, su ch as international organizations and statistics offices. Other materials are peer-reviewed articles, research papers, books, and other scholarly publications. These will aid in recognizing and incorporating the most relevant literature within the context of the main research questions.Limitations of Secondary SourcesThere are some limitations in using secondary sources. One limitation is that it involves the possibility of incurring knowledge gaps. This refers to the occasions when researchers are unable to find the specific data they are looking for. Moreover, data might be outdated or is not relevant to the research problem. Furthermore, the researcher might find contradictory points of view in the secondary data, which will result in confusion and ambiguities. To lessen these kinds of risks, the researcher will seek the advice and guidance of academic staff specializing in this research subject regarding suggestions on literature. The researcher will also come up with a comprehensive list of international databases of FDI to find the most current data.Data AnalysisThe data analyses that will be applied in this research are comprised of four important steps. Data will be arranged in a rational way. The arrangement of primary and secondary data is based on the selection process (based on the researcher’s judgment). Data will be sorted into three categories. The categories are as follows: (a) Theoretical application of FDI in a Chinese context; (b) Ghanaian and Nigerian investment climate and context; (c) the relationship between Chinese FDI and the Ghanaian and Nigerian political, social, and economic factors. Data will then be analyzed using a number of qualitative research techniques. Results will be organized in terms of theoretical FDI themes identified in the initial research. DISSERTATION PLAN Below is the Gantt chart for the dissertation. This outlines the main activities that will be conducted for this research. Project TasksStartDuration Task 1: Writing the research proposal05 Task 2: Writing the project plan55 Task 3: Conducting the literature review1014 Task 4: Gathering of secondary data247 Task 5: Creation of theoretical framework3120 Task 6: Analysis of the data5114 Task 7: Writing the final research report6514 Note: Start – Represents the number of days from the start date of the research project Duration – The number of days required to complete the task REFERENCES Asiedu, S. (2006) Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: The Role of Natural Resources, Market Size, Government Policy, Institutions and Political Instability. United Nations University Publication [online] Available on: http://www.people.ku.edu/~jbrown/virus.html [Accessed 1 April 2013] Assuncao, S., Forte, R. and Teixeira, A. (2011) Location determinants of FDI: a literature review. Porto: FEP. Benacek, V., Gronicki M., Holland, D. and Sass, M. 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Dramatic irony Essays

Dramatic irony Essays Dramatic irony Paper Dramatic irony Paper Eddie Carbone is main character in A view from the bridge. Set in the 1940s A view from the bridge was written in the 1950s by Arthur Miller, (Miller was influenced by Greek tragedy). During those times Italian immigrants came over to America for work, dreams and freedom but like in this story it all ends in disaster, Eddies an Italian American. This play is a tragedy because the play ends in death, also Eddie Carbone is tragic in that he cannot change who he is, his circumstances are beyond his control and he cannot change them, this type of tragedy revolves around hubris- Eddies stubborn nature and male pride causes his inner conflict and ultimately his death. In contrast to Alfieri, Eddie is not educated therefore he cannot express himself. He is also a stereotypical male as he cannot or will not cry. Therefore Eddie is presented as tragic in many ways. The idea of the American dream is where the family has two cars and usually two children, there was more definition to gender roles then as the man would go out to work and earn all the money whilst the wife stays at home cleans the house, cooks and looks after the children and their daughters usually head cheerleader for her high school whilst the boy is captain of the football team. the ideal family draws the audience in. the American dream is different to the Carbone family in most ways, as the Carbones are poor, live in a run down small apartment in Brooklyn, Eddie and B have no children of their own and are a dysfunctional family. We knew that all of Birlings information would be correct if reversed. Therefore, if we reversed the current mood of the opening scene, you would have figured out the mood of the ending of the play. A house filled with sadness and regret. It is the exact opposite of the mood in the opening scene. To conclude, the opening scene reflects largely upon what will happen later on in the play. The seeds are sown and throughout the production, the plot and theme grow and get stronger. Actions and speeches made at the beginning are cleverly intertwined with those at the opposite end of the play. This enables us to make fairly accurate predictions on the outcome of the play. The mysteries surrounding Eva Smiths death and who Inspector Goole actually was, are never solved. This kept me thinking and guessing even after the production had concluded. Overall, the nature of the play and the subliminal clues placed for the audience allows us to foresee later actions of characters which can then use to help solve the crime ourselves. It is this that keeps the production mysterious, intriguing exciting and entertaining.

The Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Euro Region Essay

The Sovereign Debt Crisis in the Euro Region - Essay Example There were many European countries that agreed to pay out to potential investors on loan so that they could build their business or create a boom in their existing businesses. They started offering higher rates and better pay out to the bonds, and people started investing into them as their yield was comparably higher and better than the US security bonds that paid out less. There were quite many high risks lending and the loans that were being given out were not secure at all, thus when they defaulted this created a whole lot of collapses. Creating a joint pool of savings and money created a domino effect, if one country defaulted all the countries in the pool would be suffering and this created the situation that if one drowned the rest would go down too as the countries were all connected. The current economic situation will ultimately cause many businesses to shut down and thus this will impact the current job situation. When the firms will start to close down there will be many people who will become unemployed, and this will increase the poverty rate in countries as well. The countries will also face the loss of confidence and will have lesser external investments which would bring an overall halt in their economic growth. There are many reasons and causes that had resulted in the European crisis. The most prominent example is that of Ireland, they paid out loans without securities the investors and encouraged them to develop real state. The government assumed that this would boost their economies and bring in newer profits, but what they failed to acknowledge was what they would do if the borrowers failed to pay back. This created a property bubble and their economy started to tumble because of non-payments of debts. In Greece they became benevolent to the workers and started paying out them in a great amount with relaxed debt conditions, and many countries even borrowed from global investors to bring progress into the country, this created external debt s. Another real significant reason for the current crisis is that the government’s bailing out of large businesses, when they were suffering the financial crisis shocks, this caused the government to empty their own treasuries and have no benefits in return, they in turn themselves started borrowing a lot, and this led to them coming nearer to bankruptcies, as the inability to pay those large loans brought them on the verge of becoming bankrupt. The increase in imports of the smaller European nations brought about an increase in the trade imbalance which again affected the economies of these countries greatly; Germany was the only country that had a positive trade balance. The best and most common method that is adopted by the countries to face the economic crisis is to print money, which causes devaluation of the currency, in case of Euro zone this is not possible as the countries have a pooled in treasury, they cannot print money and thus the inflexibility causes the countr ies to suffer together, it reduces the immediate impact but then instead of one all countries get affected (Kolb 2011). It has been seen that once again the main issues related to the economic downturn has been caused by the Developed countries. The countries that are related to the European countries will have the greatest impact on the developing countries and the countries that are directly or indirectly related to these countries. For example if we have a look at China, they are the principal

System Change Request Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

System Change Request - Essay Example The program will ensure that the system operate efficiently and provide quality services to customers. Ideally, the system will enhance delivery of services in the accounting department that is charged with the responsibility to administer cash transactions (Stair & Reynolds, 2010). Change request is significant for transformation management process since it sets appropriate signaling elements that report evident defects and operating gaps that may compromise quality in service delivery. Imperatively, change request emanate from the problem reports that are presented by users or signaling software’s. This is evident at Hill school where the change process of the billing system emanated from the user. The management was concerned on the operating capacity of the existing system and its efficiency. As stated, the school is in need of a system that is integrated with strong control software’s, effective and upholds high security standard to enhance the processing of the va st amount of data that they hold. Elements of the change process include customer ID, the change type, indication of the requirement or optional nature of the change process and change abstract. ... The emergency request seeks for contingency measures that may not need comprehensive planning. The main aim of the stage is to restore the operations of the system. Sensitive request is another priority stage that deals with identification of essential processes that the system cannot operate without. This ensures that the central elements in a system are well integrated to eradicate inferior execution of activities. System document request SDR from the users is another significant process in identifying the need for change within the operating system. This element states that system users have a crucial role in ensuring effective functionality of the infrastructural set up that they administer. Change request also originate from the events in the development of the system (Stair & Reynolds, 2010). That is the complications that are encountered at the time of implementation may lead to change of strategy during the integration process to facilitate quality in service delivery. Normal request is the last stage that deals with the implementation of ordinary needs. These are the needs that facilitate the effectiveness of the system. Evidently, Hillside school should integrate the new billing system in consideration to SCR priority based procedure. This is to enhance the functionality of the infrastructure by establishing and providing timely solutions to the evident problems presented by the users. Justification Change request is a credible project administration process that advances workflow and effectiveness of service delivery. The approach ensures superior operation of the infrastructural set ups that institutions use to coordinate activities through detailed identification and reporting of defects. This is critical since the